Masks, Tails, and Kitty Ears
by Fey Effervescence
Summary: [Oneshot]It's Halloween in Lucis, and Lightning finds herself invited to Noctis' epic costume party. However, when she goes, she gets a lot more than she bargained for.


**A/N: This is just a quick little Halloween piece. I wanted to get it done before the actual day got here. So read, favorite, follow me, and review. Thanks bunches.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII, or any of its sequels, nor do I own Final Fantasy XV (Versus XIII) so no trying to sue me!**

* * *

**Masks, Tails, and Kitty Ears**

"I can't believe I'm really doing this. . ."

"Don't worry, Lightning, you look great!" chirped a jaunty Vanille, a pointed black hat atop her head, a rickety wooden wand clutched in hand, and a short black dress cloaking her.

"Damn right you do," added Fang. Her skin was painted entirely in salmon, and yellow reptilian contacts covered her eye's natural color; a pair of large horns rested on her head, curving upward. On her back were flared dragon wings. "The Princess won't know what hit him!"

The playful insult inspired a groan from Lightning, "Please don't call him that."

A hand went to Vanille's mouth, her eyes slightly closed and resembling crescent moons, "Ooh, you really like him, huh?" she giggled.

Fang grinned, "Jumping to his defense and everything. Too bad he doesn't know you do," Fang stood back, and observed the garb adorning the blushing older Farron.

Hurried feet were heard from down the hall, and bursting into the room with arms full of cosmetics was a beaming Serah. She was dressed in thigh-high boots, and a white mage's tunic. When her cerulean eyes fell upon her older sister, she drew a breath and a concomitant gleeful squeal. "I-is that really you?" moving closer she set the bag down on the bed. "Noctis is going to go crazy!"

Lightning observed her hands, "I'm not sure I should go. . ."

Fang shook her head, "Oh, you're going! There's no doubt about that. I'll drag you there myself if I have to."

"Besides," melodiously sang Serah, "You were the only one he invited in person."

Vanille agreed with a vehement nod of her head, "That has to mean something. Clearly he wants you there!"

"I think you all may be reading a little too much into it. He probably just ran out of invitations."

The chuckling three looked to each other.

"Yeah, a prince with unlimited finances running out of invitations. That has to be it!" sarcastically commented Fang.

"He doesn't like me like that," Lightning attempted to reason. "We're just. . . ," she paused before dejectedly speaking, "friends. Nothing's going to change that. Besides, I'm pretty sure he's seeing someone."

The sound of scrounging met their ears and Serah pulled out an eyeliner pencil, mascara, an eyelash curler, foundation, and a few brushes. "If you really thought that way, why'd you bother picking that costume?"

Lightning was at a loss for words.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Fang. She watched as Serah began to expertly paint her sister's flawless pouting face. "C'mon! It's a costume party! It's suppose to be fun, so fix your face, yeah? And try not to be so pathetic and grouchy for once! You may scare away the guests."

Lightning scoffed, "I'm sure that monstrous mug of yours will beat me to it."

Fang laughed, "At least you're still feisty."

Moments later, Serah stepped away, "We're all set."

"Ready to go?" Vanille asked.

Lightning pondered the question for a few moments before nodding her head, the thought of Noctis motivating her, "Y-yeah. Let's go."

**XXX**

"This is ridiculous," grumbled the disgruntled Caelum hair. "I don't even know why I let you and Glad talk me into this thing."

"Because!" huffed Prompto, "The party will give you a chance to tell Lightning you're into her. Live a little, dude! Who knows, you two might even hook up if you get enough alcohol in her. Just keep feeding her shots, take her some place quiet, rub on her leg a little, and the rest will happen naturally."

Noctis was appalled, "Just what the hell is this? Date Rape 101? I'm trying to ask her out, not have sex with her."

"Yeah. Same thing."

Ignis placed a hand to his forehead, mentally fatigued from listening to Prompto babble on and on, "Listen to this idiot and it's more likely she'll stab you in the chest than agree to be your girlfriend."

"Noct, who are you going to listen to when it comes to girls, me or the, the. . . ," Prompto scratched the top of his head. "Just what the hell are you anyways?" he asked of Ignis, making note of his long blue and white cloak.

"I'm a scholar, obviously," the be-speckled young man clarified, raising the large grimoire he carried.

"If you were just going to be a geek, you could've just came as you were," quipped the blonde. "Halloween is the one night a year where you're suppose to be something other than yourself."

Ignis scowled, "And what are you exactly?" he said addressing Prompto's flimsy apparel, particularly the red and white bandana fastened around his head, "A hobo?"

"Nope! I'm a pirate!" boasted Prompto proudly. He lifted a hook that was resting on the floor next to his feet. "Argh! Imma huntin' fer booty, and I ain't talkin' coins yer hear?"

"Simpleton," scoffed Ignis.

"Guys!" all heads turned to a fast approaching Gladiolus. His face was painted a deathly pale white, fake blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth, prosthetic fangs lined his teeth, and his brown hair was greased back. He wore a black suit and a vibrant red cape flailed behind him. "There's a ton of people outside! You ready to let them in?"

Noctis felt his nerves clasp him, thoughts of Lightning running through his mind. "Y-yeah. Let them in."

**XXX**

Goblins and ghouls, sorcerers and magicians, and monsters and creatures of all creative imagining thronged the castle's grand hall. Alcohol was liberally passed about; pumpkins sat suspended from the ceiling, hallowed out with the flickering flames of candlelight settled within them, and their surfaces carved with various horrifying and amusing faces. Confetti shot upward into the air much to the delight of the party goers, many of whom were busily munching away on candies and chocolates scattered about. The music was loud, a live band keeping a steady flow of tunes much to the delight of the listeners.

Lightning found both arms clutched by Fang and Serah, who were dragging her through the main doors and onto the main floor. "Stop resisting!" Fang was incredibly annoyed with the ambiguous one's antics.

"Like a hundred people already saw you," Serah co-signed, "Noctis probably knows you're here. You can't back out now! You might hurt his feelings if he finds out you left before speaking to him." Those words defeated any resistance from Lightning. "Good." Serah and Fang released her.

"Looks like a lot of fun!" Vanille chirped as she hurriedly procured a pastry being carried along on a dish. "I never would've thought Noctis would throw such a big party."

Honestly, neither did Lightning. During their time together he seemed rather uncomfortable with large crowds and especially with being the center of attention. A party such as this wasn't like him. Or perhaps she hadn't known him as well as she thought. Regardless, there was no denying the equanimity coursing through her when he'd approached her the prior week asking her to go. Mysterious bat-shaped invitations were passed around, and practically everyone she'd known had gotten one, except for her. Initially that fact hurt her deeply, but she'd not spoke of it. It wasn't until the host himself apologized and insisted he'd rather have asked her in person that she felt better.

"That's Lightning!"

"She looks hotter than usual."

The comments from random guests persisted and Lightning began to feel like a piece of meat. Maybe she should've come as a chocobo instead.

Serah giggled, "See? You look great."

"Whatever. Can we just hurry up and find Noctis?"

"Ooh, lookie here!" harassed Fang. "Somebody's in a rush to see Broody."

**XXX**

Away from the girls, Noctis scanned the crowd, the corners of his mouth turned down. "I don't think she's coming, guys. What's the point of all this if she's not gonna show?"

"Stop being so negative!" Gladiolus said. "I'm sure she's here. Prompt went to go check."

"Check for Lightning or the alcohol?" Ignis pointed to Prompto, who was busy chugging shots in a far away corner.

"What the—" Gladiolus couldn't believe it. "He's suppose to be helping us help Noct!"

"Just forget it," Noctis said. Maybe Prompto knew what Noctis already knew, "She's not coming."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. . ."

"Huh?" Noctis turned to Ignis, who was unblinkingly looking straight ahead. He followed the intellectual's gaze, and choked on his own saliva. Repeatedly he smacked his own chest, coughing and trying to gather himself. Doing so, he shook his head to make sure he was seeing things correctly. But there was no mistaking the head of splendid pink or that angelic face. "There she is. She. . . actually came," he couldn't believe it.

"And check her out," Gladiolus spoke. "Dude, talk about dressing to impress. Look at her outfit, it's a sign." He slapped Noctis on the back causing him to stumble forward. "Go! Go get her!"

"Y-yeah. Right." Noctis sighed and homed in on the captivating beauty. With eyes still glued to her, he gently ushered aside guests, who happily allowed him to pass. He was both the host and prince after all.

A loud feminine exclamation stopped him. "Noctis!"

Attention was ripped away, and rapidly approaching him was Stella Fleuret of Tenebrae. Upon her arrival, she latched onto his arm, "S-Stella! Hi!" As appreciative as he was she'd showed up, Noctis didn't have time for the violet-eyed girl.

She smiled, "What a wonderful party!" Stella was dressed as a fairy, draped in a lavender gown with six iridescent wings on her back. "It's so unlike you."

"Yeah, I know," rather than look to Stella, Noctis eagerly searched about for Lightning, who he'd lost amongst the crowd. "Hey, mind if I talk to you in a bit? I'm looking for someone. Ignis and Glad are straight back. Can't miss them."

"Aww!" Stella adorably pouted, fluttering her lashes. "But I just got here."

"Talk later," Noctis tiredly reiterated. "Promise." Unfortunately, even his word wasn't enough to unlatch the girl from him.

**XXX**

Meanwhile, from across the sea of dancing bodies, Lightning quickly realized that finding Noctis would be nearly impossible. There were too many people, and there was no telling what he'd been dressed as. For all she knew, he could've been masked as some grotesque abomination. There even stood a chance, a rather large one at that, that they'd both unknowingly bypassed one another. The music's loud bass shook the floor and rattled her bones, and was quickly proving both irritating and disorienting. She palmed her face, vainly attempting to shut off her auditory senses. The more time elapsed, the greater became her desire to abscond the party. Finding Noctis wasn't going to happen. Or so it seemed.

"Maybe we should find Gladiolus!" yelled Vanille, trying to keep her voice above the music. "He said he was going to be a vampire."

Lightning rolled her eyes, "Yeah, that's helpful," she waved to the room, bringing to attention the dozens of other undead bloodsuckers gyrating on the floor.

The redhead giggled, "Oh. Right. But he's tall, so he should stand out." Now that made sense.

"Right."

The girls eased their way into the center of the floor, a few threatening leers from Lightning fearfully sending all those who erred to closely, shuffling away. She'd a reputation, and no one dared attempt to anger her, not that she'd been a bully, but she demanded her personal space. The temperature was steadily rising, and Lightning became less uncertain of her costume choice and more thankful for it.

And that's when it happened. With luck on her side, the crowd shifted and she was immediately gifted with a full view of Noctis. Lightning couldn't help but be intrigued by his outfit choice. "Well, there's Noctis," her monotone voice concealed her nervousness, but her friends and sister knew better.

"Go say hi! Hurry!" Vanille encouraged.

Serah pointed, "Look at his outfit! You two are so meant for each other! You even think alike!"

As if sensing her, Noctis pulled his attention away from a blonde girl and met her gaze. Lightning felt her chest tighten. It turned out the girl was Stella Fleuret, there were plenty of times Lightning saw the girl around Noctis, and each vision made the defier of fate uncomfortable. Stella was latched onto Noctis' arm, smiling brightly. Noctis said something to the girl, prompting her to nod before he released himself from her hold and started for Lightning. The sight of him with someone else engendered a deep desire to flee, but she couldn't, he'd already seen her. "He's walking this way. What do I do?" she craned her head towards Fang to see she'd not been there. Not only had Fang left, but so did Vanille and Serah.

"Hey, little kitty."

Lightning snapped forward to see Noctis standing in front of her. "Hey," she allowed her eyes to ostensibly scan his outfit. "Nice costume."

Noctis hadn't hidden his observations either, "I could say the same for you," he reached forward and poked a single white cat ear atop her head, which mirrored the black ones atop his. "What a coincidence." They'd both decided to dress as miqo'te, male and female respectively; Noctis a Keeper of the Moon, and Lightning a Seeker of the Sun. Noctis particularly found himself admiring her red skirt's length, and Lightning the way his shirt allowed a partial view of his bare chest; though neither admitted it.

"Thanks for inviting me."

Noctis smiled, "No, thank you for coming. I'm. . . ," Noctis considered his words, "glad you did. The party probably would've been lame without you."

Was he being serious? Lightning looked around at the joyous crowd, "Yeah, I doubt it."

"So, who were you talking to?"

The question confused her, "Huh?"

"I saw you saying something before I came over."

"Oh!" she blushed. "Right. That. I thought I was talking to Fang, Vanille, and Serah but they ditched."

Noctis laughed, "I'm sorry to hear that. Mind if I kept you company instead?"

"Sure."

Both cats stood quietly on the dance floor, each silently pondering what to say next. Noctis felt awkward and had no idea what to do with his hands or body. Normally speaking with Lightning came naturally, but considering she was the inspiration for the elaborate shindig, he felt uncertain of himself.

Lightning had been no different. Attending parties was a remote concept, one she'd certainly never given credence to. Loud music, people, vomit, and the effects of alcohol all greatly annoyed her. If it hadn't been for Noctis, who was assumed to have detested such affairs equally so, she wouldn't have come. Considering he was the host, things couldn't be bad, right?

The lights dimmed, the suspended pumpkins producing an eery orange glow. The music shifted to a pulsing electro beat, and flashing strobe lights immediately dominated the darkened room. The crowd screamed at once, and all the creatures began to synchronously jump. Both Noctis and Lightning shuddered.

"Wanna go somewhere?"

The suggestion confused Lightning, "But it's your party. Shouldn't you stay?"

"I can kinda tell you don't wanna be here," he hadn't been wrong there.

"No. It's fine. Let's," she frowned, "do what people do at parties," not that she had any idea.

"Dance?"

Lightning wasn't sure whether he was listing an activity or asking if she wanted to. "Uh. . . ?" Both looked around at the hyperactive bouncing and head-banging crowd, and simultaneously shook their heads. This prompted them to lightly chuckle. "You're the host and you don't look like you're having that much fun either."

"Yeah, well," Noctis rubbed the back of his neck, "The party wasn't entirely my idea. I was talked into it."

"Prompto?" guessed Lightning.

Noctis smirked, "Naturally. And Glad." For the briefest of moments his eyes fell upon her cleavage, and quickly he looked away, his face reddening.

"What?" Lightning folded her arms across her chest, having seen where his eyes wandered to. She, too, blushed.

"Nothing!" he said a little too quickly.

"So, how did they manage to talk you into it."

"Well, you see—"

"HOLY! LIGHT, IS THAT YOU?" With a drink in hand, and two girls clasping an arm each, Prompto drunkenly wandered over. How he'd managed to get plastered so quickly was a mystery, but considering who it was, not unfathomable. "You're like the hottest girl here!" those words instigated frowns upon the faces of his seminude female companions.

A hand rose, and Lightning absentmindedly twirled the ends of the loosely wavy hair resting over her left shoulder, "Way to give me the spotlight. . ."

"Did Noct find his balls and ask you yet?"

"Ask me wh—"

"Let us not pay any attention to the drunken idiot. He doesn't know what he's talking about," intervened Noctis.

"YOU TOTALLY DIDN'T!" the pirate laughed. "YOU PUSS!"

Before Lightning had an opportunity to inquire further, Noctis suddenly slipped his hand in hers, "Off we go!" She was whisked away from the grinning goof and ushered through the labyrinth of bouncing bodies. Immediately, she took note of the warmth of Noctis' hand and the firmness of his grasp. It was the first time she held anybody's hand that wasn't a younger Serah, and she never considered the possibility of Noctis holding hers. Under normal circumstances, she'd have been taken offense at being led away in such a manner, but she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him. At least not for long.

Noctis was negligent the guests he ushered aside, his focus instead to get far away from the gregarious jokester. It was just Prompto's way of trying to help, Noctis knew that, but he also knew he needed to ask Lightning at his own pace. That was why he found himself guiding her far from his friends, and away from the party.

**XXX**

Autumn leaves drifted along the the night air. Considering the time of year, it was surprisingly warm out. Far away from the palace they may have been, the music was still audible, though faintly so. Lightning wondered how many people had spotted them walking off, but quickly dismissed it. It hadn't mattered. Being with Noctis was what was important, and considering the busy lives they both led, she was grateful for what little time she had.

Ambling the streets with terrorizing masks, sparkly costumes, and buckets in hand, were the children of the city. They went from door to door, harassing any home they came across; and were eager to gorge themselves on sugary bonbons and amass vast quantities of cavities. Well beyond preadolescence, Noctis and Lightning easily stood out amongst the kids. "Any idea where we're going?"

"Not particularly," he looked to her, "Is that okay with you?"

Any place was better than the drunken mass they'd escaped from, "Won't hear any complaints here." Lightning wondered what her friends and Serah were up to. Were they looking for her, or were they enjoying the party? It was safe to assume Fang was quickly inebriated, and Vanille was probably busy dancing along with Serah. When Lightning thought about it, it was probably best she wasn't there. She'd no doubt be reduced to a glaring killjoy before long. Her friends and sister were better off without her, and deserved a night of fun. Not that she entirely minded. She'd managed to substitute them with the one person she'd been looking forward to spending time with. But there was something Prompto had said that she couldn't shake. "Noct?"

"Yeah?"

"What did Prompto mean earlier about you asking me something?"

Noctis was desperately hoping she'd forgotten about that contretemps, or attributed it to Prompto's drunkenness. He considered confessing, but thought better of it. Many times he'd seen Lightning shatter the noses of chauvinistically forward admirers, and though he'd possessed a decorum unlike them, he didn't want to risk the same treatment. Noctis shrugged his shoulders, "Beats me," he cooly answered.

His act was convincing and casual, and managed to bypass Lightning's suspicion. "Gee, he's just as bad as Snow. They both like to hear themselves talk just for the hell of it."

"Maybe it's a blonde thing," added Noctis.

"I think it's just an idiot thing. Though you're lucky you don't have to hear Prompto shout about being a hero every five seconds."

Noctis chuckled.

The _thump thump_ of drums caught both their attention, distilling the quiet they'd found. From the sounds of it, it'd been a distance away, but the further they traveled the louder it became. The auditive stepping of feet and laughter was next to follow, and both miqo'te look to each other. Curious, they pressed onward, abandoning the residential street they'd roamed. Coming to a large cobblestone wall with subjacent hedges, the two leaped upward grasping the ledge and hoisted themselves up to peer beyond the obstruction. What they saw they hadn't been expecting. A halloween festival had been taking place in a neighboring park. Multiple booths were erected, and flashing incandescent bulbs attracted crowds to various games boasting an assortment of stuffed animal prizes ranging from the meager to the hefty. The venue was more subdued than Noctis' party, though the excitement hadn't been any less. Parents roamed with their children, and couples ambled hand in hand. Groups of friends snapped photos, showing off their costumes, and dined on available comestibles.

This was more Noctis' speed, "Wanna go see what that's all about?" he craned his head to his crush.

"Yeah, sure."

Noctis easily pulled himself up and vaulted the wall. Instinctually, he turned to assist Lightning, but his intentions were in vain. She'd already jumped. Inadvertently, he managed to glance a peek of the lacy white panties she wore, as her skirt briefly flared. This immediately reddened Noctis' face. Ashamed, he snapped around, not wanting her to deduce his action from his startled expression.

"Come on."

Alarmed, Noctis looked to see she was already ahead of him, having stopped for him to catch up. Not wanting to annoy her, he jogged forward. "Sorry about that."

"Something wrong?"

"No. Just zoned out back there." They resumed walking alongside each other. "I didn't know there was a Halloween festival. I didn't know we _had_ Halloween festivals, and I'm the prince."

"Aren't you suppose to have your finger on the city's pulse or something like that?"

"Something like that," he affirmed. "I just kinda do my own thing. I don't really try to get involved with cultural events and stuff."

"Clearly."

"Smile you two!" Their heads whipped to the side to see a man holding a camera. A vibrant white flash temporarily blinded them and the man stepped forward. "Cool costumes. You and your girlfriend should enter the costume contest. Starts in two hours. You two look legit."

This comment flustered them both. "Oh we're n—"

"Ten gil," the man said interrupting Lightning.

Before Lightning had a chance to protest, Noctis was already fishing in his back pocket for his wallet. The fact someone had recognized them as a couple, although mistakenly, excited him. He noted the strange yet pleasant sensation swimming around inside him, and struggled against his developing smirk. "Here," he handed over the coins, received a numbered ticket, and was told to turn it in at the building near the park's entrance to attain the photo. The man departed thereafter. "Wanna enter the contest?" Noctis asked.

"Uh. . . yeah. Sure I guess."

"Cool." They traveled along a central path, booths lining both sides. Their noses were bum-rushed by the flavorful scents of cinnamon and sugar, many freshly baked confections advertised at nearly every turn. Operators of various games and attractions called out to them, trying their earnest to persuade the stoics to take part in their activities, and subsequently relinquish their gil. But it wasn't a boisterous plea that caught Lightning's attention, but instead a large, stuffed, black and orange striped moogle. Its head was skeletal and its tiny crystal pompom scarlet. Lightning hadn't spoken her admiration aloud, but Noctis noticed; he noticed everything about her. "You want that?"

Lightning futilely tried to disguise her blush by looking away, "Want what?"

Noctis didn't say any more, instead he walked over to the booth.

"Noctis!" She pursued him. Was he really about to try and win it for her?

"'Sup, dude!" the operator greeted. "Trying to win something for your girl?"

Noctis didn't know how to respond, especially with Lightning so close. He could deny they were a couple, as in truth they weren't, but doing so felt to him like speaking it into existence. "How much?" he'd pretend he hadn't heard the question. Once told the price to play, he immediately deposited the appropriate coins in the outstretched hand of the operator. The goal of the game was to knock down a stack of three leaded milk bottles. It seemed simple enough, but when Noctis received his ball, threw, and hit the uppermost bottle; he quickly discovered them to be far sturdier than expected. It didn't fall. He'd had two chances left, and with Lightning silently watching him and interested in the stuffed creature, the pressure to succeed increased tenfold. He didn't want to let her down. Again he tossed the ball, hitting all three bottles at their intersection. None fell.

"Last chance," the operator said.

"Noctis, it's okay," Lightning stated. "It's just a stuffed animal. Don't worry about it," that however was the last thing Noctis could do.

He was determined to procure the prize. He repeatedly tossed his final ball upward, narrowed eyes scanning the milk bottles for any signs of weakness. The ball landed in his palm a final time and Noctis gripped it tightly. He reeled his arm back, planted his foot, and threw the ball towards the bottles' base. Instantaneously the bottles fell, and Noctis grinned. He'd been successful.

The clapping of a gathered crowd ensued, and Noctis looked around, not realizing he'd attracted an audience. "Which one do you want?" the operator asked, gesturing to the available prizes.

"The black and orange moogle," the prince answered. Moments later, he was handed the prize and focused his blue irises on Lightning. He approached her, the gargantuan stuffed toy outstretched to her. "Here."

Lightning accepted it, hugging it to her chest, her face rosy and eyes avoiding Noctis, who was similarly avoiding ocular contact, "Thanks."

"Yeah."

"Awww! Such a cute couple!" an older woman exclaimed.

"Daddy, look!" squealed a young girl dressed as pink bear, "They're both cats!"

The attention was becoming too much, and both Noctis and Lightning looked to one another, nodded, and hurriedly walked off. Being a spectacle wasn't something they favored. It was bad enough they decided to enter the costume contest.

As time passed, Noctis and Lightning walked together in comfortable silence, and dined on various snacks, which Noctis happily paid for. The pair found themselves having more fun than they'd had in ages, and with their friends too far away to distract them, they were each other's sole focus. They'd entered a haunted house, which had Noctis more shaken up than he'd liked to admit, though Lightning could tell. They'd taken extra photographs with a horde of bloodied and threadbare zombies, and Lightning quickly found her inventory of prized possessions quickly accumulating. At every opportunity, Noctis rushed at the chance to win her something. He hadn't been successful at every attempt, but he'd won more often than not. The royal's actions perplexed Lightning. She couldn't understand why he'd been so proactive at buying her treats and procuring her trinkets. It didn't make sense. He'd gathered so much that Lightning was unable to carry them all, so instead Noctis hoisted around a large plastic bag on his back, which seemed liked it'd burst if any more toys were stuffed inside. Word quickly spread through the festival about him, and many crowds gathered whenever he attempted to play a game. Games weren't the only activities they'd participated in. They'd rode the tilt-a-whirl, the zipper, and various other attractions.

Noctis briefly pulled out his cellphone to observe the time, "We have about thirty minutes left before the contest. Anything in particular you want to do until then?"

"Not. . . exactly?" Lightning couldn't figure him out, and considering her heightened sense of intuition, that was saying a lot. Did he treat all his friends this way?

"I have an idea. Let's go."

Curious, Lightning followed close to him. It wasn't long until the sight of an elaborately lit ferris wheel came into vision, each individual carriage like that of hypertrophied pumpkins and draped in stringy makeshift spiderweb, though not obscuring the windows to allow vision. Noctis hurriedly paid the operator and once allowed, he and Lightning boarded the carriage, with her entering first. She didn't quite know how Noctis managed to fit the bag of prizes while still allowing them to sit comfortably, but he'd managed.

"I've never been on one of these before," he stated.

"Really?" He shook his head, and Lightning was immediately warmed that he'd decided to experience his first time with her. But why her? Surely, there was someone else he would have rather spent this moment with. Like Stella Fleuret. The debutante and he seemed close, especially considering she always hugged onto him whenever they were together.

Up and up went the carriage, the gargantuan automated wheel incipiently spinning clockwise. The higher they went, the smaller and smaller the people below became. Noctis busied himself looking out of the window, the city lights inveigling him. He sported a feint smile, but it immediately faltered when he shifted his focus to his fellow passenger. Lightning was watching him intensely, her brows knitted in confusion and her pink lips pressed into a horizontal line. "I-is something wrong?" Noctis asked of her.

"Why are we here? Doing all of this together?"

"Because we both hated the party? Right? Unless you were enjoying it," he'd thought Lightning was having just as much fun as he; she had certainly seemed to. But maybe he misjudged. It wasn't like she was the easiest person in the world to read. "We can go back if you want."

"No!" she hurriedly blurted. Realizing she may have insinuated his party was lame, she quickly corrected herself. "It's not that I hated it. What I mean is. . . why are _we_ out here. Me and you. I thought you would've wanted to sneak off with Miss Sunlight Delight, share this experience with her."

"Huh?" Was he missing something? It wasn't hard for him to deduce who she'd been referring to, but why would Lightning think that? "Why would I bring Stella here?"

"You two kinda have a thing don't you?"

Noctis blinked, "Yeah. . . no," he laughed. "Stella's okay, in an I have absolutely no desire to date her she's just a friend sort of way. Not my type. Too proper. I need someone more. . . lively, and a little more real," someone like Lightning, "What made you think something was going on between us?"

Lightning sighed, "How couldn't I?"

When Noctis thought about it, he could see how easy it could be for one to insinuate he and Stella had been dating. She often flirted with him, but Noctis was far too reserved to tell her to stop. He didn't want to mistakenly hurt her feelings; or worse, cause a confrontation. He damned himself for not speaking up. Because of his inaction, Lightning got the wrong idea. Noctis knew he needed to rectify things and quickly. This was his chance to confess and tell Lightning how he felt about her. "I see your point. But yeah, there's nothing there." From now on, he'd have to erect new boundaries between himself and the blonde.

Lightning's chest fell, air being expelled from her lungs. She was relieved to have heard that. "Oh." Lightning swiveled her head, to observe the scenery, feeling a bit embarrassed for having assumed.

This time it was Noctis whose brows were knitted as he watched Lightning. The thought of revealing his feelings was frightening. Her wanting nothing to do with him afterwards was a very real possibility. Was such a potential outcome worth the risk?

Lightning felt his eyes on her, and turned to face him, "Noctis?"

He stiffened, "Yeah?"

"What is it?"

"Uh. . . ," red melted into his cheeks. It was now or never. If he didn't tell her today, would he tomorrow? How much longer could he endure not having her for himself? A day? A week? A decade? An eternity? One thing was certain, however. If he came clean, there still persisted a chance for them, no matter how small. But if he didn't, then he'd never have her. And though their methods were unorthodox, his friends had tried to help him. He couldn't waste their efforts. "There's a reason I'm here with you," he cooly said. "And it's not just because I didn't want to be at the party."

"And what reason would that be?" Lightning asked.

"Don't you get it, Light? The girl I like isn't Stella. It's you." Finally. He said it. But how would Lightning react?

Her hold of her moogle tightened, her arms pressing it tighter to her chest. "You what?"

"I like you," he repeated. "I have for a while now. I just didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to tell you at the party, but. . . I chickened out." Noctis shifted his focus to the window, his elbow resting against the sill, while the back of his fingers rested against his cheek. "I know you probably hate me now. But. . . I thought you should know."

Lightning was in a state of wide-eyed disbelief. Her? Noctis liked her? Fang, Serah, and Vanille were right, and that was even more of a shock. It appeared Lightning wasn't the only expert at masking emotions; Noctis hid his affections well. His stubborn persistence to stockpile prizes and treats made sense. It was all for her. But. . . he thought she hated him? "Noctis."

His eyes rolled from the window to her.

"I don't hate you."

Noctis lowered his arm and looked to her. "You don't?"

Lightning shook her head, "No." She watched him intently watch her. "The. . . feeling is. . . ," her face was on fire. "I like you, too."

Noctis' eyes ballooned, "W-what?"

"I'm not saying it again."

They looked to one another, not producing nary a syllable. It was a few moments later, until Noctis found himself rising. Slow footsteps brought him forward, and Lightning found her head tilted back to study his face. Infused with confidence, Noctis leant forward and pressed his lips against those of hers, his warm palm resting against her cheek. The kiss hadn't lasted long, only a second or two. Noctis smiled. Lightning smiled back. He took a seat beside her, and together they enjoyed the remainder of the ride in silent contentment.

**XXX**

Noctis and Lightning found themselves walking on smooth sidewalk, the festival long behind them. In addition to the plastic sack he carried over his shoulder, in the other hand, Noctis clutched a golden trophy. It was that of a furry, bipedal, caped creature with the large head of a pumpkin, which brandished fiendish fangs and a sinister expression. It stood on a large platform that was marked with the number one. Lightning held a matching trophy in hand, and her moogle in the other.

They came to the stoop of Lightning's apartment building, and faced each other. "I guess this is where we part ways," Noctis said.

"Something like that, yeah." Lightning bit her lower lip. "I. . . I had a great time with you."

Noctis smiled, "Yeah? Same here." He lowered the bag of prizes to the ground. "You need help taking these inside?"

"Sure." Lightning fished a key from the satchel draped across her torso. She forthwith unlocked the door, entered, and shut it behind Noctis. Once she led Noctis down the hall and into her bedroom, she set her trophy down on a table and flipped on a nearby light switch.

"So this is where you sleep," observed Noctis, as he glanced around the meticulously clean room.

"Yeah." Lightning moved to the bed and placed the moogle between the pillows. Shuffling was heard and she turned to see Noctis removing each prize. He approached and neatly arranged them along the pillows. "Thanks."

"No problem." Again he dipped his hand in the bag, and pulled out a series of photos, each, with the exception of one, depicting him and Lightning smiling, some with various prosthetic creatures, but most of only them. Noctis sifted through the photos and handed a few over to her, "Here's your copies."

Lightning placed the pictures on her nightstand. She'd have to find frames for them soon.

Both twenty-somethings stood awkwardly. Noctis rubbed the back of his head, and Lightning used her right hand to rub her left forearm. "Uh, I guess I better go," he said.

"I'll walk you out."

Noctis chuckled, "How sweet of you."

"Shut up," she jokingly punched his shoulder. Lightning led him to the front door, opened it, and stepped onto the stoop.

Noctis turned to face her, "I was wondering. Do you maybe wanna get lunch tomorrow?"

"Lunch?" she wasn't expecting that. "Is this suppose to be a date?"

"Pretty much. Got a problem with that?" he smirked at her.

She smiled, "Not at all."

"Good. At this point, I don't think I can take no for an answer. Pick you up at twelve?"

"Twelve. Yeah. Sounds good."

He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and pet her hair and white ears, "Goodnight, little kitty."

At this rate, there held possibility for Lightning's face to be stained a permanent tomato, "Goodnight, Noct." She watched as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, turned, descended the steps, and suavely walked away; his black tail bouncing behind him.

**XXX**

Vanille squealed, "How cute!" she lifted a stuffed, chibi vampire and admired its blushing cheeks.

Taking advantage of Lightning's lowered guard, Fang swiftly snatched the photos from Lightning's hand. "Hey!"

"Let me see these." Fang was joined by the other girls as they looked through them. "So, you're a real girl after all. I was beginning to think you were made of bolts and wires." Vanille was passed photos that cleared Fang's inspection, and then she passed those along to Serah.

"You two make such a wonderful couple!" Serah cooed. "I just knew you were right for each other."

"I'm just glad the princess finally asked you out."

Lightning blinked. "What?" Did she hear Fang correctly. "You mean you knew he liked me?"

"Duh! Everyone did."

"Why the hell didn't you say anything sooner!"

"Lightning, we did," Serah spoke, "You were just too stubborn to listen. I mean, all the signs were there."

Vanille nodded, "We kept dropping hints the entire time, but you didn't seem to catch on. So, we asked Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus for help, and that's when they suggested a party. Looks like our plan worked."

"So. . . Noctis knew I liked him the entire time?"

Vanille shook her head, "No. They knew you liked Noctis, and they promised not to tell him. We wanted you both to figure it out yourselves."

"When it comes to love, the both of you are pretty stupid," Fang rolled onto her side. "Everyone didn't want to just come out and say it. It was way too much fun watching you two squirm," she laughed.

Lightning gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, her body shaking and eyes narrowed.

"Uh. . . we better run. . . ," Vanille stood from the bed and dashed from Lightning's bedroom.

"Agreed!" Serah followed suit, with Fang close behind.

Serah, Fang, and Vanille, didn't sleep well that night.

* * *

**And done! This was yet another one shot. After I saw Lightning wearing the miqo'te costume in Lightning Returns, I couldn't help but imagine Noctis wearing the male version. So I decided to incorporate that. Admittedly, I struggled with this piece for quite a bit. The idea was there, but it didn't flow naturally to me like all my other pieces. I was stumped at some of the scenes and I'm not sure if that shows or not. Hopefully not. Anyways, it's back to writing Chosen. I'm beginning to notice that I can't write happy stories quite the same way I use to. I've become the queen of depression lately.**

**To those who want to talk to me outside of this site, ask me questions, find out what I'm up to, get a deeper look into my stories, etc; you can visit my tumblr page at (fey-effervesence . tumblr .com). Of course without the spaces.**


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